An athlete completes the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon Sunday.

An athlete completes the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon Sunday.

Photo: Karl Anderson

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An athlete nears the end of the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon held Sunday.

An athlete nears the end of the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon held Sunday.

Photo: Karl Anderson

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An athlete makes a turn in the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon Sunday.

An athlete makes a turn in the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon Sunday.

Photo: Karl Anderson

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Athletes race to finish the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon at the YMCA Sunday.

Athletes race to finish the 300-yard pool swim during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon at the YMCA Sunday.

Photo: Karl Anderson

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An athlete races to complete the 5-kilometer run during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon Sunday.

An athlete races to complete the 5-kilometer run during the Conroe Family YMCA Tri-For-Fun triathlon Sunday.

Photo: Karl Anderson

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Conroe YMCA’s Tri-For-Fun welcomes triathletes of all ages

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From seasoned veterans to teenage beginners, triathletes determined to dive headfirst into the challenge filled the Conroe Family YMCA Sunday morning for the organization’s first Tri-for-Fun.

About 130 people, including some of the Conroe Tiger Sharks swim team, took on physical challenges they may not normally tackle. It included a 300-yard swim, 16-mile bike ride and 5k run.

“I encourage them to do this ...,” Tiger Sharks coach Kim Hansen said, “just to get a multifaceted training; and it’s also a good goal for them to shoot for.”

The triathlon and children’s race, featuring a 50-yard swim, 1-mile bike ride and quarter-mile run, generated proceeds benefiting the YMCA Partners Campaign, which provides financial aid to YMCA-member families and individuals in need. Planning committee co-chair Erin Trantham said the event made about $10,000. She hopes it will continue to flourish in the future.

“We wanted to bring this sport to the community, and that’s why we added the kids race,” she said, “so the whole community could be involved. A lot of people here have to travel to participate in races like this, so it’s great to have it in our back yard.”

Hansen watched six of her teenage swimmers participate, with two in the kids event. Despite the 7 a.m. start, all were excited to compete.

The Tri-For-Fun had a distinction making it more community-oriented, Trantham said. Participants were not ranked and did not receive points; it was purely for fun.

“We wanted to promote fun and include a variety of people,” Trantham said.

Wendel Wilson, whose daughter has entered competitive races for six years, appreciated the local triathlon.

“I’m glad to have a local event,” he said, “because most of them you have to travel for. (Pretty soon) we are going to Boston (for the marathon), so this is great.”